The twentieth-century discovery of Archaeans, which did not fit into t

Question

The twentieth-century discovery of Archaeans, which did not fit into the kingdom classification scheme for biological life, led to the creation of the domain classification level, above the kingdom level. This new level included the new domain Archaean. Prior to the discovery of Archaeans, it had been generally accepted that no life could exist in temperatures much hotter than 60 degrees centigrade. This limit was set because it was thought that the molecular integrity of vital cellular components could not be maintained beyond such temperatures. The thermal capacity of cellular life, it was believed, was a fixture across all biological organisms. Archaeans, in recent decades, have repeatedly demonstrated that the previously maintained  thermal threshold  for life was far too low. So-called extremophilic Archaeans have been discovered to thrive in temperatures as high as 160 degrees centigrade. Such discoveries have required a broadening of biology’s conceptions concerning what environments are hospitable to life.  
 1 
 1. The author of the passage implies that extremophilic Archaeans

(A) are able to maintain molecular integrity of cellular components past what was formerly accepted as the thermal threshold of life.
(B) have been known to exist in moderate environments for some years, but their extremophilic properties have only recently been discovered.
(C) are able to live and thrive in temperatures higher than 160 degrees centigrade.
(D) were responsible for the development of a distinct kingdom in the classification scheme for biological life.
(E) are the oldest known form of multi-cellular biologic life.

2 
 2. The passage’s author suggests that the “thermal threshold” ( Highlighted ) is

(A) the thermal capacity of extremophiles.
(B) the critical point temperature at which the metabolic pathways of extremophiles become functional.
(C) an environmental extremity indicator.
(D) the temperature at which the molecular integrity of cellular components of an organism are compromised.
(E) a biological constant across all of nature.

3 
 3. In the passage, the author’s chief concern is to

(A) acknowledge an error in mainstream science.
(B) explain the reason for a modification of a system.
(C) describe an anomalous biological phenomenon.
(D) trace the development of a scientific theory.
(E) outline a system of scientific classification.

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RC Questions Everyday.   
Passage # 190 Date: 13-May-2021
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2021 .  Click here for Details

Pankaj0901 · Answer

1. The author of the passage implies that extremophilic Archaeans

(A) are able to maintain molecular integrity of cellular components past what was formerly accepted as the thermal threshold of life.
(B) have been known to exist in moderate environments for some years, but their extremophilic properties have only recently been discovered.
(C) are able to live and thrive in temperatures higher than 160 degrees centigrade.
(D) were responsible for the development of a distinct kingdom in the classification scheme for biological life.
(E) are the oldest known form of multi-cellular biologic life.

Why the answer is not C. It is stated in the paragraph as well- "So-called extremophilic Archaeans have been discovered to thrive in temperatures as high as 160 degrees centigrade."

3. In the passage, the author’s chief concern is to

(A) acknowledge an error in mainstream science.
(B) explain the reason for a modification of a system.
(C) describe an anomalous biological phenomenon.
(D) trace the development of a scientific theory.
(E) outline a system of scientific classification.

Can someone please explain each of the options: 
 A) I find this relevant as the author is acknowledging the error. Why is this wrong?
B) Yes, reason is also explained. But is this the chief concern. Is A not the chief concern over option B?
C) Even there is an anamoly presented. Why is this option wrong?
 D) Understood- Not tracing development here.
E) Not relevant

bM22 · Answer

Hi  Pankaj0901 ,

For Question 1, C is incorrect, because "as high as 160 degrees centigrade", doesn't imply higher than 160 degrees centigrade. It simply implies, that extremophilic Archaeans have been discovered to thrive in temperatures this high.

3. In the passage, the author’s chief concern is to

We cannot infer any error. Lines: "This new level included the new domain Archaean. Prior to the discovery of Archaeans, it had been generally accepted that no life could exist in temperatures much hotter than 60 degrees centigrade.", do not imply any error. They are simply mentioned as an assumption.

Correct . The author talks about Archaeans, which did not fit into the kingdom classification scheme for biological life,  led to the creation of the domain classification level, above the kingdom level. . How it has been discovered that Archaeans can thrive in temperatures as high as 160 degrees centigrade, and how earlier it was not the case and why was it so. Thus, we can infer that author's chief concern is to explain the reason for a modification of a system.

Clearly incorrect, as we cannot infer if this is an anomalous biological phenomenon as author has not discussed it in the passage. It is a discovery that caused some modifications of the system.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

GAngstA · Answer

question 2 why not option e?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. The passage’s author suggests that the “thermal threshold” (Highlighted) is

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

Based on the context, it is clear that the author considers thermal threshold to mean  “the temperature at which biological organisms begin to break down due to heat.” Choice (D)  best expresses this meaning.  E  is extreme to consider.

The correct answer is (D).

TBT · Answer

For Q1. why D is wrong? I was confused between a and d .

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. The author of the passage implies that extremophilic Archaeans

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

The passage indicates that prior to the discovery of extremophiles the thermal threshold was set at 60 degrees centigrade  “because it was thought that the molecular integrity of vital cellular components could not be maintained beyond such temperatures.”  It can be inferred that if extremophiles can live and thrive past 60 degrees centigrade, they can maintain molecular integrity past the previous thermal threshold. Hence,  choice (A)  is the correct answer. (The passage does not mention extremophiles existing in moderate environments, so  choice (B)  cannot be inferred from the passage.) Answer  choice (D)  is nowhere in the same direction.

The correct answer is (A).

The twentieth-century discovery of Archaeans, which did not fit into t

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The twentieth-century discovery of Archaeans, which did not fit into t

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